How to (Strategically) Crush the London System

[@Soloistang_Rider]

I love this kind of chess lectures where you're showing the concepts and chunks and putting them altogether in your actual games. The lesson is crystal clear and easy to follow. Please make more of such contents and looking forward for those contents. Cheers.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you for your kind feedback. I will consider making more of those.

[@CKozub11]

I love your enthusiasm for chess - you communicate it so authentically.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Love this comment, so motivating ❤️

[@chimbiepaladin4629]

This is a video to watch several times. Not because I didnt understand it. But because its so rich. There is so much to learn. It felt like eating a gourmet dinner watching this lesson. Something Id want to eat over and over.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Loving this! The gourmet dinner will be waiting for you in YT - hopefully for eternity ☺

[@joeldick6871]

That was excellent. One detail you have to remember: in the ...Bf5 Qxf5 ...Qxb2 tactic, you must remember that before doing ...Qxa1, you must first play ...e6, deflecting the white queen, so that after ...Qxa1 white doesn't have Qc2 trapping the black queen.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you for mentioning that! You are absolutely right.

[@luca4xxx]

this tactical idea only work with Nc6 avoiding Qb5 "multipurpose" move

[@kelvinrojas215]

Spectacular videos. I have seen this opening before. But this is the first time being introduced to Smyslov maneuver. Very rich and informative!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Glad you enjoyed it! And beyond enjoyment, hope you will retain this knowledge ☺️

[@user-wf7my6so7l]

Love lectures centered around openings and concepts, ty very much :)

[@Dr.CansClinic]

So nice to hear your kind words, thank you!

[@brainfellow5140]

Thank you Dr. Can, very instructive, so many different techniques working together like a wonderful symphony in harmony... chess is truly a beautiful game!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

You are so very welcome! It is a wonderful game indeed ❤️

[@ambientmusic8735]

It's nice the way you explain simple moves so elegantly❤ I wish if you could make a video that shows how to maintain an advantage... Sometimes when I'm up a piece or pawn, I don't know how to keep that advantage for the long term. Would love to know your experience and thoughts. I hope such a video would be a great lesson for many.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Love hearing your kind feedback. ❤️ I will consider making a dedicated video on your idea. But have you seen this recent video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/opuXYnuIiqupnLM

[@toguppy1985]

I learnt that a good knight in the middle of everything is probably better than trading a knight for the corner rook which was passive. Thanks for the awesome videos! I found your channel a couple of days ago and have been consuming the videos. All of them have been very instructional to me (1300 elo currently). Loved the slav one as that cleared up some things I was hazy on.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

That is so encouraging, thank you!! Please do not hesitate sharing the channel with your chess friends. I am struggling to make it more visible. Now you have around 100 videos to enjoy ☺️

[@GaryWalters-tk2lp]

Very nice lesson, I found I needed to watch a second time as there was a lot to take in but second time round and it became clear why moves were made, a lovely way of showing how different principles effect the play and where and when to apply them, very informative

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Glad it was helpful! Yes, sometimes you need to rewatch it, it is totally fine. You can also revisit these videos few months later and see how well you can guess the moves.

[@MarkPersoonlijk]

Yeah, rewatching is great. For sure I will do this for this video. And playing chess game with slow time controls helps too to get the principles on a deeper level. (I should play those time controls more often.)

[@jaykalichannel]

Thisbis how you teach chess! Beautiful!!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤️🙏

[@willyh.r.1216]

Thanks for the valuable lesson.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

You are welcome! 🙏

[@Fiorellasimo]

Wonderful, marvelous video (as always). I really like positional chess, and your crystal clear e explanation is really an eye opener for me...thanks for your great work!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Wonderful to hear this feedback. There is joy in learning, right? That is the main mission of this channel ☺️

[@Fiorellasimo]

@@Dr.CansClinic Yeah absolutely!

[@manuelfuentes4509]

Wonderful lesson once again

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thanks again! Really appreciate it.

[@gulabrathod4484]

Extremely nice video coupled with splendid ideas with beautiful reasoning. Thank you Sir. Hope to see more such videos.❤❤

[@Dr.CansClinic]

So motivating, thanks ❤️

[@user-ot8bb3ng7o]

💯💯💯👏👏👏an absolutely spectacular video nothing is more enjoyable when we can express theory in actual action 🎉 deepens our understanding concepts, once understood never forgotten, theory in action👏👏something I noticed many years ago was amazed how I never forget certain things when a concept worked out over the board even though I wasn't very knowledgeable at that time,🎉

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Well said! Thank you so much ❤️ Absolutely, applying what is understood cements it deeply.

[@MarkPersoonlijk]

Amazing video. You show how learning these chess principles/ideas/patterns will integrate in game play. Really great! And entertaining too. I found this video by searching on the internet, 'The Smylov Maneuver'. Your lesson at the right time at the right place 😀

[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤️ Amazing feedback, thank you!

[@kennethgatto1032]

Great video! Love the idea of learning "chunks" and adding them to my repertoire.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Glad you found them helpful 🙏

[@MarkPersoonlijk]

Yeah! I think that's one of the main reasons (top) Grand Masters are as great as they are. They got so many chess chunks in their bag plus trained a lot to get those immediately ready when needed. We amateur chess players just need a few here and there and we already play better than most people haha!

[@khandujamanish]

Excellent content once again with awesome presentation keep rocking!!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much ❤️

[@BinuJacob-lz1mb]

Wonderful lesson in how to learn chess!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much!

[@lorenzodigiacomo2561]

Great video and great game! This was very informative, thank you

[@Dr.CansClinic]

My pleasure!

[@MichelHoetmer]

Very nice and instructive video! 👍

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@milehighslacker4196]

Outstanding! thank you!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Very welcome!

[@reneepaz8077]

Awesome thank you

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you!

[@DanielDollinger1959]

I play London System almost exclusively when i am white. The first six or eight moves mechanically by memorization. No why is explored. Obviously, this thinking will hold my progress down. If Smyslov was mechanical, he would not have come up with his maneuver. Your video here as well as most of your others is forcing me to explore the "why" for a move, position, etc. Patterns are key. Learning patterns takes a lot of practice against superior opponents (darn it, I hate losing) and going over master games. I am doing both. We will see if the patterns ingrain. We will see if I can apply them in new situations. For me to be a great London player, I need to know the opposition ideas. I can then be ready for a counter opposition idea. If there was no counter possible, the opening would disappear. But we know it is being played at the highest levels. So, there are counters. This video helps me deepen my understanding of this opening. Thank-you Can.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am so happy to read your detailed analysis and introspection, Dan. So well said.

[@kanjitramchiary7183]

Your lessons gives a lot of courage during the tournament and many precious lesson can be learnt from you,thank you very much.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

My pleasure. Thank you for your motivating feedback and good luck in the tournament!

[@alexkay77]

A very helpful video, I dread playing the London. Do more of these! A bit off-topic, do you plan to make a Chessable course covering endgame strategy? Most endgame courses cover standard X vs Y endgames, but few cover the gap when the middle-game is almost or just finished. I often struggle finding a good plan that leads to a known winning end-game position.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much, will do more of these! I have one course idea on converting a winning endgame advantage, but it is still vague. It will be about forming a winning plan and executing it to the end.

[@alexkay77]

@@Dr.CansClinic, this would be perfect, looking forward to it! \m/

[@edwardagarwala]

This was an exceptional presentation. You had several key ideas that you explained up front and then showed how they worked together in a game. I was wondering if there other openings where the smyslov maneuver is often a good plan. Exchange Caro, slav, minority attack? Are there any conditions that make it better or worse?

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am so happy to read your feedback, thanks! It is seen frequently in Exchange Slav structures. In general, where the play is solely on the queenside for Black, this idea makes more sense (as both rooks are remaining on the queenside, one staying on a8).

[@jimmccann3856]

You game, being so simple & logical, achieves elegance! (But it was virtually all Strategy, with minimal Tactics - as Silman would have liked and advocated.) But most games are far messier tactically, thus inelegantly pulling us all down into the Calculators Swamp...

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I also love those games that are decided mostly by strategic domination. But tactics are always involved in chess, as a single slip can nullify all previous strategic domination...

[@jaybingham3711]

I'll give you a like...despite being heavily conflicted with the topic. Yes, of course...d4 is a delight! Accelerated London, JoLo, Queen's gambit. The palpable "Ugh" upon opening d4...which is weirdly detectable even with an online game...is just another reason for playing it. "Here's some cheese to go with that whine." 😁

[@Dr.CansClinic]

I am a 1. d4 player myself, and this video did not refute that strong move ☺️

[@jaybingham3711]

@@Dr.CansClinic 🤟💪👍

[@safaa.ramadan35safaa83]

Mercy dr❤

[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤️

[@briandwi2504]

Excellent. I have a question. I am working through your Chessable course on calculation and the examples you give as puzzles are well chosen as they are like the chunks that you talk about that you used in your game. Clearly one benefit to your course is that you are practicing the thought processes that lead to effective 3 ply moves. Another benefit is that, with sufficient repetition, one will commit to memory many useful chunks. So my question is, do you think that it is important to do sufficient spaced repetitions on Chessable to commit the chunks to memory or is the most important aspect to practice the process of finding the mini plans?

[@LKaempen]

I'm sure the answer is "both' but we'll see what Dr. Can says. Realize that if you commit the chunks to memory the process of finding mini plans will naturally occur

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for your kind feedback and studying my calculation course. The answer is both obviously :) But the positional chunks and mini-plans chapter in that course align nicely with spaced repetition, as those are recurrent "actions" in those important positional chunks. In general, recurrent and important patterns in chess land nicely to spaced repetition. Chunks are connected to actions, e.g. when you see a juicy d5-outpost, you trade the enemy pieces fighting for that square and establish an eternal knight on d5 in the end. That is also precisely what my "Art of series..." trains. You learn to recognize a positional pattern and find the right action. So knowing those chunks directly connects to finding strong mini-plans (mini actions).

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Excellent answer ☺️

[@briandwi2504]

Thanks for that.​@@Dr.CansClinic

[@LKaempen]

So I realize this was an illustrative example, but at 5:00 the trade of Bishops is not forced, correct? The black Bishop could just drop back to D8?

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you for the question! ...Bd8 would not work for Black there as it allows Bxf8 and White wins the exchange.

[@yuezhao4576]

Hi Dr Can. Thanks for your videos again. Is it a good idea for black to play D4 at 12:42? White will lose Bishop if he takes by e pawn. Black will paly BB4, if black plays CXd4. Black will creates a very powerful pass pawn, if white trades Knight. Thanks!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much! ...d4 looks very good indeed, but don't we allow Nxd3 cxd3 Qxd3?

[@yuezhao4576]

@@Dr.CansClinic Maybe black can play DXc3 after Nxd3 to attack queen and Knight at the same time. If QXC3, black palys Cxd3, white will lose rook after the discover attack. If queen run away, black will take the Knight and have two strong connected pass pawns.😀

[@robwilliams3592]

Nice Video.. Learned something... Maybe you could recommend some self training material for pattern recognition by themes... Reading the Davorin Kuljasevic series of books and they are very helpful... Thx again for the video...

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much for your kind feedback. Kuljasevic is a good author. When it comes to patterns and right actions to take in those patterns (priyomes), I will shamelessly promote my Art of series on Chessable :)

[@robwilliams3592]

@@Dr.CansClinic Have a few other courses in the works but plan on getting to your Chessable course...

[@Dr.CansClinic]

@@robwilliams3592 That would make me happy :) And you can ask me anything on Chessable while studying those courses.

[@MarkPersoonlijk]

@@Dr.CansClinic I can vouch for your 'Art of' series. I've done The Art of Exchanging Pieces, it's great! I can play a little faster in my games I notice. And I am seeing more and more when I made a strategic mistake in a game without the need of a computer analysis. More importantly, more often I can stop myself making a bad exchange. Now I am doing the lessons of The Art of Awakening Pieces, really needed. I go slow and steady 💪

[@salemtv5808]

great video as usual thank you so much, i have a question what if Na4 right after casting (before a6) what’s the plan for the light square bishop? 16:03

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Thank you so much. Great question. Then we go ...Be4 Nxe4 ...dxe4! and the knight on h4 becomes buried! I talked about this pattern in my recent video on the Slav defense.

[@salemtv5808]

@@Dr.CansClinic Oh i remembered i actually commented that i loved this new (to me ) idea but im old and my non sticky brain struggles to hold ideas 😀😀 thanks

[@Dr.CansClinic]

@@salemtv5808 ❤

[@kanjitramchiary7183]

I love you man when call fox

[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤️

[@williamgraham1062]

At .11.18. instead of Black kt c5 .to D3 . Would kt c5 to B3. hitting both Queen and rook be the better move? Unless I'm missing White's counter response. Can anyone please help ? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Hey! Can't White go Nxb3 then?

[@mezozeko5662]

First from egyptian fan ❤

[@Dr.CansClinic]

Greetings to Egypt ❤️

[@hiwibaba22]

Hi Dr Can great to see you putting so many of your lessons to use in a real game where your ideas are in context. Amazing work and thank you! P.S. London system can be as boring as English cuisine (joke)

[@Dr.CansClinic]

@@hiwibaba22 Thank you so much! Yes, we are introducing some strategic fireworks to make the London more exciting (at least for us!)

[@MarkPersoonlijk]

@@hiwibaba22 Haha! But English breakfast isn't that boring right? 😉 By the way, I hear people saying the English opening is boring. Why? I don't have many opponents playing that opening. Maybe it's because of that I don't find it boring.

[@TheChingChongSlayer]

Amazing video!

[@Dr.CansClinic]

❤